Cheers to a beer made entirely with Wisconsin ingredients

Lakefront Brewery today will release what may be the first beer since Prohibition made entirely with Wisconsin ingredients.

Local Acre, brewed with organic malt, makes its official debut from 7 to 10 p.m., Thursday at The Sugar Maple bar, 441 E. Lincoln Ave., in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood.

“I am very proud of this new lager. It’s the first step to creating a taste that is uniquely Wisconsin,” Lakefront Brewery President Russ Klisch said in a prepared statement.

Klisch said he hopes the release of Local Acre will encourage other Wisconsin brewers to "support our local economy" by buying local and producing more all-Wisconsin beers.

Lakefront Brewery worked with grain farmers 100 miles from the Milwaukee brewery to supply six-row organic malted barley and cascade hops to make the hazy, unfiltered lager. Local Acre contains 7 percent alcohol and is currently available on-tap and in 22-ounce bottles for $4.99 throughout the Milwaukee market.

Klisch worked with Wisconsin farmers for three years to lay the groundwork for Local Acre. He said he supports sustainability practices by purchasing wind power, using recycled products to make the brewery’s six-pack boxes, and giving environmental tours of the Travel-Green Wisconsin certified brewery each Friday.

Lakefront Brewery, Inc., started in 1987, is among the state's oldest micro-breweries. The brewery distributes its products to 29 states, Israel and Canada. It was the first brewery to brew a government-approved, gluten-free beer, New Grist. Lakefront also brews the oldest USDA-certified organic beer, Organic ESB. For more information check out the brewery's Web site, or call (414) 372-8800.

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